This application relates to electronic devices, and more particularly to a programming apparatus that allows users to program user-defined information into their electronic device.
There are many types of electronic devices available to consumers today that have the ability to produce both audio sounds and video displays. Many of these devices provide users with the ability to select and play a particular piece of audio or video. A television viewer, for example, may tune to a TV channel and watch a particular program, or connect a VCR or DVD player to the television in order to view a specific program not currently being broadcast. Similarly, an audio system user may tune a receiver to a particular radio station to hear a certain genre of music, or connect a CD or tape player to the system in order to hear specific pieces of music. In both cases, the audio and video is user-selectable.
Currently, however, there are many electronic products that offer an audio/video playing capability that are not fully user-programmable. Users of such devices (e.g., wireless or cordless telephones, pagers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), hand-held computers and the like) have to choose from a limited selection of pre-programmed information (e.g., audio clips, video clips or frames, etc.) placed there by the manufacturer. This severely limits the user""s ability to customize the device to suit his or her particular taste. Furthermore, most pre-programmed audio tends to be rather generic and can be confusing when a device of a nearby user generates a sound similar to or the same as that of another user""s device. Although a programmable memory within many such electronic devices could support user-defined audio, currently, no system exists for programming such information into an electronic device.
The same is true for user-defined video. For example, certain types of user-defined video information, such as video clips, frames, and other digital or analog images could be programmed into an electronic device (e.g., PDA, wireless phone, or any portable display device) and displayed at a time of the user choosing. Although a programmable memory within such a device could support user-defined video, currently, no system exists for programming such information into the device.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that allows a user to program user-defined audio information into a programmable electronic device.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that allows a user to program user-defined video information into a programmable electronic device.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing methods apparatuses that allow a user to program user-defined information into his or her electronic device. In one embodiment of the present invention, the programming apparatus includes processing circuitry and first and second communications links. In operation, a user selects a piece of information from a source such as a computer disk drive, the Internet, or a remote database using the first communications link. The programming apparatus may download this information and compare its format with that required by the programmable device to determine format compatibility. If the two formats are compatible, the programming apparatus may download the selected information into the programmable device. If the formats are not compatible, the programming apparatus may convert the downloaded file to a format compatible with that required by the programmable electronic device. The programming apparatus may also provide the user with an opportunity to edit the converted file. Once editing is complete, the resulting file may then be programmed into the programmable device for subsequent use.
In another aspect of the invention, a user may send customized information such as an audio or video file called a xe2x80x9csignaturexe2x80x9d when placing a telephone call. This feature allows a user to select and send a signature file to the person receiving the telephone call such that the person receiving the call is alerted by that file.